Honeymoon in Costa Rica: looking for uncrowded beach destination

Me and my soon to be wife are traveling to Costa Rica for our honeymoon in August. We'll have a week there. We love new experiences but we'd like to combine that with relaxation on the beach. Thought about combining Arenal area with Manuel Antonio park and beaches but it seems that Manuel Antonio is a little bit too touristy and crowded. But we still want to visit Arenal. What would be your recommendations for the beach destination? It shouln't be too far away from Arenal area or San Jose airport. Also, could you recommend beautiful places to stay? Our budget is more or less 1500$ for a week (including accommodation, car rental, tours, food).

3 Answers

We love to start in La Fortuna and the Arenal area and then drive around Lake Arenal with fun stops in small towns and wind up on the west coast near Tamarindo.

Tamarindo is a happening place with lots to do. Nicer restaurants, a brewery, night life and it goes without saying amazing beaches. Consider picking one of the small beach towns nearby for your stay - just north is Playa Flamingo and there are good choices along the coast.

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Simas

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Hello Simas! Costa Rica is an amazing country full of nature, relaxation and kind people. About your question I would say that Playa Santa Teresa is your place. My favorite hotel to relax and enjoy nature is Villas Hermosas. A very unique, comfortable and beachfront family villa. They have designed a suite for honeymooners. Santa Teresa is an ecological beach, very peaceful and unique. You wont regret it. Take a look on internet or facebook. Plenty of information and pictures!

Pura vida!

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Simas

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Many of the popular beach towns like Manuel Antonio are slow in August so the crowds aren't a big worry. If you are still worried about it being too touristy, a destination that you might like is Punta Islita on the Nicoya Peninsula. There a nice little resort there, Hotel Punta Islita, but not much else. It would be really nice for a honeymoon and there are some beautiful beaches along that stretch of coast. This would be a bit of a drive from San Jose, around 5 hours but only about 3.5 from La Fortuna/Arenal.

Another option would be to stay in one of the smaller towns along the central Pacific coast. Near Jaco there is Esterillos, near Manuel Antonio there is Dominical, etc.